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Neil Heywood remembers Leonard Bernstein

I thought I’d share something which simply shows why I revere that absolute genius Leonard Bernstein. His 1944 musical On The Town has always lived in the shadow of West Side Story, which came more than a decade later, but it’s full of great songs – by turns joyous, sardonic, wonderful and bitter-sweet.

And the most bitter-sweet of them all is Some Other Time, which never fails to bring a lump to my throat, or a tear to my eye, or both. It’s a lovely evocation of regret at parting, understated, witty and rueful - and for my money, it’s a little gem, one of the most perfect songs in any 20th century musical.

Find it on YouTube; there’s a fine rendering by Elizabeth Stanley; here’s the link. There’s also a vintage recording featuring Bernstein himself on piano accompanying ageing opera star Eileen Farrel, with a basso profundo verse contributed by Lenny himself. It’s here.

And the original cast recording is very fine too. Do listen to one of these and see if you agree.

In opting for a Desert Island Discs, there is simply too much music to decide so I will choose a category each time.  On this occasion I am choosing choral pieces that I have performed in church.  All of these pieces share the characteristic of taking the words and making them go much deeper spiritually than if they were simply spoken. Here are my chosen eight:

1. I heard a voice from heaven, from the Requiem by Herbert Howells.

2. O Salutaris by Marcel Dupré.

3. Kyrie, from the Messe Solennelle by Louis Vierne.

4. Agnus Dei, from the Missa Brevis by Zoltán Kodály.

5. O Magnum Mysterium by Morton Lauridsen.

6. Requiem Aeternum & Kyrie , from the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé.

7. Peace be to you by Paul Manz.

8. And I saw a new heaven by Edgar Bainton.

If I were to have the option of an object I would choose an organ, and my book would be the complete organ works of J S Bach.  That should help pass the time.

Singing is a wonderful form of catharsis and it's something Rajiv is doing constantly when he's alone. Whether you're singing just for yourself, or you have a goal to share your voice with an audience, a singing lesson is something that can turn out being a lot of fun. Here, Rajiv is joined by his vocal teacher, Laura Kay, who tackles a new piece Rajiv is working on.

Carols and choirs are enjoying a boom in popularity, and science is showing how they improve lives.

Singing has brought humans together, and driven social bonding, since the early history of the species. Over the course of human evolution, the activation of endorphins, which creates a sense of contentment and peace with the world, emerged as a primary means to bond large communities. It turns out that singing is an incredibly potent trigger.

“Singing is one of the mega-mechanisms we use for bonding,” said Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford. “Singing in the shower gives you a bit of an uplift, but when doing it communally, there’s something about the synchrony of singing that creates this massive endorphin uplift.”

Read more here.

On a sun-filled day in September 2023, Jacob Collier invited a group of fans to meet him at the Heritage & Arts Centre in Bow, London, for a special, Audience-Choir-inspired rendition of his new single, Little Blue.

Thanks to all who came, in their bluest attire, learned the song that day and sang so beautifully – and thank you to Mahogany Blog for capturing this gentle moment so sublimely.  All audio was recorded live - Jacob had a hidden lav mic in the front of his hat!

Watch it here.

The best humorous commentaries are those with at least a ring of truth about them; something people can relate to.

If you’ve every sung in a choir with a conductor and voice parts, you may well be amused by the observations in this graphic (submitted by a choir member).  

Two minutes of pure joy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0S80iaN6Gk

After identifying what I thought were a fairly random eight tracks for my desert island, I then saw some emerging themes. All are associated with particular memories – times and places that just hearing the pieces evoke. The lyrics are nearly always important but the quality of the singer’s voice less so – I’ve chosen some for the sheer power of the live performance. I realise there’s a predominance of male (piano-playing) performers and very little is classical. Overall, my selection is about relationships, love, loneliness and growing old – all the sorts of things that can make me cry.

In approximate chronological order by the memory it evokes…

All the Young Dudes, Mott the Hoople - takes me back to Liverpool Stadium (which doubled as a wrestling venue) with my neighbour and best friend, who sadly died aged 52. We were around 15 and this was teenage freedom! The band’s one-hit-wonder was this track, written for them by David Bowie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNHdPPJGowY

The long and winding road, The Beatles – the last song they recorded together. Happy romantic memories of a long drive to Bordeaux by car, stopping off en route to visit my ‘first true love’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR4HjTH_fTM

Naomi, Ralph McTell - I love the simply sung sentiment behind the song. Brings back happy memories of working on a beach in the south of France for four months after leaving school. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBjl6voVQ_I

The River by Bruce Springsteen - I could have chosen any one of many songs from ‘The Boss’. I love his storytelling and this track reminds me of happy days with my best friend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc6F47Z6PI4&t=124s

Nessun Dorma, Puccini  – I think my first real introduction to this piece was in the film The Killing Fields – six years before it became the Italia 90 world cup theme and long after it was written! Yes – it’s been overdone, but it still send tingles down my spine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SZsxTBCzoA

White Wine in the Sun Tim Minchin – I think this guy is a genius to be able to combine such humour and meaning into this one song. A truly original song about Christmas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q

Hello in There, Bette Midler – I think the raw emotion in this performance is just amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7AbQleGVI&t=9s

Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis, Vaughan Williams - One of my wife’s favourite classical pieces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihx5LCF1yJY

The luckiest, Ben Folds – My wife and I decided we should go to a music festival before we were 60. We were 59 and we’re still going nearly a decade later. This takes me back to a lazy sunny Sunday morning at Latitude Festival with us listening to this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcBqmN62wtw&t=2s

One in a series, this is actually more about singing Faure’s Requiem than playing it. An intriguing insight into rehearsal for a performance from the participants point of view (but you don’t have to be a singer to enjoy it!)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001p1zx

February 1999 we arrived in Prague after the worst snow there for 40 years and the snow flew up past the plane windows as we landed!  It was to be a magical few days with a concert of famous Mozart arias at the Estates Theatre where many had been performed in Mozart’s day. But the icing on the cake was to be our last evening when we went to one of the many concerts performed by young students in the early evening.

This one at the baroque Klementinum, Chapel of Mirrors. Entitled Ave Maria, it was simply a soprano and an organist. The concert ended with the soprano singing Alleluia (Exsultate Jubilate), the purest and most sublime young voice, ringing in the beautiful surroundings.